Check-In Rules
They planned to stay near the Station, but there were no guesthouses nearby, and the shopkeepers weren't willing to rent them rooms. They had no choice but to follow the fork in the road and keep looking.
In the distance, they saw a man in his thirties sitting in a courtyard. Wei Xian went over to ask if he had any rooms for rent. The man gave them a cold look, tossed aside the wooden carving in his hand, and turned to go inside.
They exchanged glances. Just then, a young woman with a long braid came out of the kitchen next door. She apologized, saying, "My brother's got a bad temper. Don't take it to heart. You're looking to rent a room? My family isn't taking guests these next few days. Try asking farther ahead, or check the hotel down the road."
With that, she went inside and locked the door.
The next few households were all the same. Either their doors were shut and no one answered, or they hurriedly closed their doors as soon as they saw the group, ignoring them.
"The people here are strange," Tian Kunwen said. "Weren't they supposed to be warm and hospitable?"
They had no choice but to keep going. After a while, they reached another house. Before they could call out, the auntie who had ridden in with them came out and warmly waved at Fu Danhong. "Miss, I happen to have a spare room at my place."
A man stood in the doorway behind her, patting a child's back on and off as he tried to coax the child to sleep. His eyes shifted between Fu Danhong and Yi Pei.
Fu Danhong took Wei Xian's arm. "I want to stay with my boyfriend."
The auntie waved a hand.